Rigid Body
A rigid body is an object which does not change its shape or undergo any significant deformation due to an external force or movement. Mathematically speaking, the distance between any two points inside the body doesn't change in any situation.
Rigid Body Dynamics
Rigid bodies are defined as inelastic shapes with negligible deformation, giving them an unchanging center of mass. It is also generally assumed that the mass of a rigid body is uniformly distributed. This property of rigid bodies comes in handy when we deal with concepts like momentum, angular momentum, force and torque. The study of these properties – viz., force, torque, momentum, and angular momentum – of a rigid body, is collectively known as rigid body dynamics (RBD).
The Mars Pathfinder spacecraft used large airbags to cushion its impact with the planet’s surface when landing. Assuming the spacecraft had an impact velocity of 18.5 m/s at an angle of 45° with respect to the horizontal, the coefficient of restitution is 0.85 and neglecting friction, determine (a) the height of the first bounce, (b) the length of the first bounce. (Acceleration of gravity on Mars = 3.73 m/s2.)
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